Women who exercised regularly in the year before being diagnosed with breast cancer had higher survival rates than sedentary women, according to research published in Cancer (October 15, 2006).
The study analyzed data from women ages 20 to 54 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Participants were asked how often they engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity at three points in life: around age 13, age 20, and during the year immediately preceding their diagnosis.
Women who reported higher levels of physical activity in the year before diagnosis had significantly better survival outcomes. This association was strongest among women who were overweight (defined as a body mass index greater than 25).
Those in the most active quartile (the top 25% for physical activity in the year before diagnosis) were more than 20% more likely to survive compared with women in the most sedentary quartile. Among overweight women, the survival advantage was even greater: the most active were approximately 30% more likely to survive than the least active.
Interestingly, levels of physical activity earlier in life—during adolescence or young adulthood—did not appear to influence survival after breast cancer diagnosis. The findings suggest that recent physical activity, particularly in the year prior to diagnosis, may play an important role in breast cancer outcomes, especially for women who are overweight.
